Personal electronic devices are commonly used for communication, entertainment purposes, as well as Internet access and a variety of other purposes. Examples of personal electronic devices include smartphones, tablet computers, gaming devices, audio players, video players, cameras, portable computers, two-way radios, GPS receivers, and/or other portable devices. The devices often make use of electrical cables for one or more of a variety of purposes. Since the electrical cables are not always necessarily in use, users of the devices often misplace the cables, forget to take the cables with them, or end up in various situations where a cable is not available when needed. In one example, a user often does not have a charging cable for their smartphone with them when the device needs to be charged.
In one exemplary embodiment, a retention device is provided. The retention device includes a ruggedized electrical cable and a cap. The ruggedized electrical cable includes a first electrical connector at a first end and a second electrical connector at a second end. The cap is configured for removably capturing the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector to form a loop from the ruggedized electrical cable. The cap includes an attachment feature for attaching the cap to an object.
In another exemplary embodiment, a retention device is provided. The retention device includes a ruggedized electrical cable and a cap. The ruggedized electrical cable includes a first electrical connector at a first end and a second electrical connector at a second end. The cap includes a threaded interior for removably capturing the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector, wherein the threaded interior is configured to screw onto a corresponding threaded surface comprising the exterior of the first end and the exterior of the second end.
In another exemplary embodiment, a cable for transferring an electric signal is provided. The cable includes a first end and a second end electrically coupled to the first end. The first end includes a first threaded portion, a first alignment feature, and a first electrical connection. The second end includes a second threaded portion, a second alignment feature, and a second electrical connection. The cable has a first use configuration in which the first end is configured to be electrically coupled to a first external receiver and a the second end is configured to be electrically coupled to a second external receiver, the first alignment feature being spaced apart from the second alignment feature. The cable has a second lanyard configuration in which a threaded interior of a cap is removably coupled to the first and second threaded portions of the cable, the first end and the second end being positioned in an interior of the cap and the first alignment feature being adjacent to the second alignment feature in the second lanyard configuration.